From a Birds' Eye
by Wrendragongirl
Summary: I know what I'm doing. Figure I gotta be. This is a dog-eat-dog world. I doubt any've us'd be alive without him, anyways. Figure it's cause he's the Batman. And I should know. I'm his Robin. Not that anyone else'd know. Or, not anyone who knows Carrie Kelly.
1. Chapter 1

I know what I'm doing. Figure I gotta be. This is a dog-eat-dog world. I doubt any've us'd be alive without him, anyways. Figure it's cause he's the Batman. And I should know. I'm his Robin. Not that anyone else'd know. Or, not anyone who knows Carrie Kelly.

School's lame. It always has been, always will be. It's been one week. One week since we've moved into the cave. One week since anyone has seen me other than the boys and Bruce. I mean, if Bossman'd let me, I'd stay underground for as long as I could. Figure I'd still have to do the shopping, though. No one else wants to.

When I check my email, Michelle has spammed my inbox with nothing other than 'why aren't you at school, where are you' messages. Figure she'd do that. I reply with a see you at school tomorrow. Wonder how I'm gonna break this one to her. Figure she'll freak. I hit send and spin around in my chair.

This is my life. My home. My family. Since we moved in, we've worked wonders on the place. It's gone from dark, wet, gloomy cave to high-tech man-cave, which is actually very accurate. It's a high-tech cave full of men. And me. The floors are still stone, but its cozier than it was.

When you first enter any of the secret tunnels under Gotham, its a walk. Eventually there's a false wall that opens when you tap the top left corner, with high security stuff and cameras concealed everywhere. And then, you come to it. The cave. The Man-cave. The first thing you notice is the computers below. You're always on a ledge that goes all the way around, and a staircase is off the the right. The computers always have someone at them, for security reasons. One tunes into the tv broadcasting system, another all security cameras in east Gotham, west Gotham, etc. as soon as there's a break-in, we know. And the boys are sent out to deal with it. There are five tunnels leading off the main room. The one on the far right next to the staircase leads to bathrooms, and showers. The next one over is the kitchen/dining room. On the left, the one closest to the staircase is the original Batcave, with all the sentimental stuff and the batmobile. It's also Bats' private room, the kill-zone. Where he plans everything. None of the boys go in there. I do, though. The batboys act tough, but they're a bunch of sissies.

After that room, there's the tv/computer room. Everyone hangs out in there if they're not eating, sleeping, or on duty. And speaking of sleeping, the last and final room is for anyone who's tired. Pretty much everyone just randomly crashes on a mattress on the floor. There's no reserved sleeping area for anyone, but there are smaller alcoves with four mattresses in each of them. You always sleep in the same area, so it's way easier to keep track of your stuff. I never crash with the boys, mainly because I don't really feel comfortable in such close quarters with them. They may not remember, but I do. What almost happened. Of course, I wasn't Robin yet.

I get a reply from Michelle. Figures, she checks her mail every 15 seconds.

/OHMYGOD WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?/ she is clearly driven out of her mind with panic. I smile. Same old Michelle.

/been busy don't freak too much be at school 2morrow/

I can tell that answer won't satisfy her at all, so I log out of my email and switch to Edmoto, to see what homework I need to catch up on. There isn't much. Only tech homework, which is find something to remodel and do it. I smile, and wonder if hotwiring a helicopter counts. Probably not, I figure.

"School tomorrow?" A deep voice asks from beside me, and I jump. It's only Bruce, though.

"Yea, I Figure it's been long enough... Uggg. My moms gonna skin me alive." I lean back, not looking forward to school for the first time in a week. I wonder how to excuse myself from this one. "

It's about time." Bats voices his opinion, grinning. "I thought the boys would go crazy with you mothering them." I glare at him halfheartedly, knowing that 'mothering' meant pushing them around.

"Well at least I don't have to cook anymore; if you want lunch, you getta make it." I retort, and he frowns breifly. "Yes... Maybe I prefer you here after all..." He considers it. "Actually, no, you mother me too. Leave whenever. You deserve some time off." His eyes smile at me, a rare treat. His arm rests on my shoulder, and I realise he's more of a father than my actual father is. I smile back. He leaves the room and I get up, and try to remember what a hot shower felt like. Nice, I figure. The cut on my arm is crusted with blood and throbbing, and I can't wait to rinse it out. I'm still wearing the same thing i wore yesterday, and my hair is a disaster. I need a major change of clothes, because being seen in the orange top, yellow cape, and green bottom would completely scar Michelle. She's such a drama queen. I come out of the Batcave and head out, grabbing my utility belt from the hangar outside the door. It'll feel so good to get back outside and swing around.

"Batboys, Jax is in command until Bats says otherwise or I get back." I say into the microphone clipped to my collar. "Copy that," a tinny voice says into my ear, and twelve others repeat it. I smile and dash out of there.


	2. Chapter 2

Outside, the air is just as crisp as it gets in the winter at night. It feels good on my warm skin. The air is filled with the noise of a busy city, car horns and people talking and loud music. But only from above do you hear the happy noises. Farther down all you can hear is screams.

I grab a batarang and toss it, cowboy style. It hooks onto the next building over and I fly through the air. I feel so free, at peace, until I land on the next building over and am earthbound again. I run and dive off of this one, spinning and reaching for the street lamp right there. I catch it and spin, letting go and landing on the roof of the next. I feel free. Like a bird. Like a Robin, because I am one.

I continue in this way, not going anywhere in particular. Just enjoying the freedom I never get with my friends or the batboys. I look for a certain tall apartment building, which should be near me, and there it is. I land on it and cautiously glance through the skylight.

There is no one there, so I enter. It's a hallway, wide with white carpeting. A door leads off of it, and I enter, closing and locking the door behind me. A large spa tub is there, and I discard the soiled outfit I'm wearing, letting it fall to the floor.

I crank up the hot water, and add a generous amount of bubble bath. The steamy water looks inviting. I dip a foot in, gradually lowering the rest of my body in because the waters so warm. I tilt my head back and massage my scalp, getting out all the dirt. It feels wonderful to be clean.


	3. Chapter 3

I emerge from the bathroom sometime later, a towel wrapped around my short hair and my body. My costume is in my hands and I walk down the hall to my room, where everything is as it should be.

My iPod is on its stand, plugged into the speakers on the desk. All my textbooks are piled neatly next to it, and my bed is made, its green sheets and quilt tucked neatly in. The towels I toss into the laundry basket, but figure I can't take a chance with my costume. I hide it under my bed, in the concealed area where I usually put my candy.

My pjs are in the closet, which is filled with clothes I never really wear. Mom insisted on getting them anyways. Figure she couldn't be anymore dense.

I don't care what they look like, I just grab a pair and put them on, then crawl into bed, which is looking warm and comfy right now. My legs hurt from running. Yawning, I just remember to set my alarm for tomorrow before I fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I have no idea where I am. The first impression is light. There's lots of it. I figure I'm staring at the sun or something.

The next noticeable thing is color. While the thing I'm staring at is bright, everything else is black. The darkness is impenetrable.

A voice snaps my attention. I can't see his face. He whispers.

"You...I hate you. You took my place. Why? Why did he let you? Why does he love YOU so much? Why not me?" The voice continues like that, coming closer, and I back away. I hit a wall, but still it comes closer. "He loves you like the daughter he never had... So it'll be that much more painful when he looses you!"

A flash of pain shocks my neck, and there is nothing but darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

I wake to the harsh beeping of my alarm, and relax. It was just a dream. Just a dream, I figure. Although it was really realistic... I push the thought out of my head. I'm still here, aren't I?

I change into a pair of jeans and a purple shirt with a white horse on it, and put a black jacket on over it. My socks are the soft shoes that go with my costume and I wear it underneath my clothes just in case. My cape is in an extra pocket in the bottom of my backpack that I concealed. I'm glad I have an extra outfit.

I snag my backpack over my shoulder and head out the door, grabbing a doughnut from a box on the counter in the kitchen. The house is empty, and there's no one to question my comings and goings. I take the elevator down, stuffing the pastry-like breakfast food in my mouth, wiping the powdery glaze off my fingers onto the wall. I figure no one'll notice.

Outside, Michelle is waiting for me. She looks pissed off, and I really can't say I blame her. "WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN." She hisses, sounding like an angry cat. I do my best not to smile but fail epically.

"Sorry. Been busy." I shrug, trying to look nonchalant. I'm not 100% sure how to say this...

"Darn it, Carrie, this isn't some game! I was WORRIED about you! What if some thing had happened?" I knew she was referring to the fight between Bats and Supes, and the Mutant Gang business. I start feeling slightly guilty about all this. I will tell her... Just not now.

"I'm sorry, Michelle. Really. Figures I've been worried enough myself lately... I just forgot." I stare down at my feet, remembering the events of the past week. Yea, I was sure I was gonna die. It's karma that I didn't.

Michelle looks more sympathetic now than mad. "Are ya gonna tell me?" She questions. I nod, but add a "later, though. Not here". We walk to school in silence after that, glad we've come to a temporary agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

"Blah bla blah blah blah blah... BLAH blah blah la la lalalala. LA BLah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah... blah BlAH..." Is Michelle's version of what our science teacher actually TEACHES us. I agree. I figure if I actually paid attention that's what would come out of his mouth.

We all laugh, me and Michelle and Alexander and Haley. The members of our little group. The bus bumps along, taking us to the next destination on our field trip: the police station. We get to eat lunch with Commissioner Ellen Yindel and former Commissioner James Gordon. I hope they don't recognize me from our meetings in the past...as Robin. The BOY wonder and 'human shield'. I figure they gotta frame the Boss for something.

"OK, CLASS, LISTEN UP! YOU ALL BETTER BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR.!.!.!..." Our dean shouts at us as loud as humanly possible. He goes on to add something about reflecting our school, but I tune out. So does everyone else.

We unload the bus after Dean no. 1 finishes his speech, dividing into groups. I get Michelle(yay!), Kinzie(not so yay), Brittany, Cristina, Brian, Alexis, Liam, and the worst one of the group: Tiffany. I HATE her. She is the dumbest most selfish irritating gossiping Blonde ever. And I'm here to tell you that the stereotype dumb blonde is true in Gotham city.

We enter the building and I try to pay attention to the tour, but certain DUMB BLONDES won't shut up. I wonder what heir iq level is. I figure lower than a snails. By lunchtime, I'm ready to leave the group and rejoin Haley and Alexander. The lucky ducks got put in the same group, and look like they're having a blast.

No such luck, though. We have to sit in the groups we were assigned. The police cafeteria isn't that wonderful, but its better than the school cafeteria. The food actually smells kind of good. I feel kind of exposed, though, because I left my backpack on the bus with all my electronics and utility belt in it. If something happens, I'm down to the batarangs in my sneakers and the technology my glasses carry in them. No scanners can pick up the nanobots that make them up, forming a clear screen across the lens that helps me see better and zoom in and stuff, not to mention the x-rays and stuff.

I chid myself for being so jumpy. That nightmare shook me up more than I thought it did.

We go through the food line, grabbing pizza and gatorade with a sliced up apple before sitting back down.

"Carrie, you gonna spill now?" Michelle prods. I sigh, and wonder where to start. Figure it's safe to spill. Everyone is occupied, and the two police commissioners are at different tables. No one is listening to us.

"Well, you know about the batman and mutant stuff, right? Want to know exactly what happened without any changes to the story?" I ask her. She gasps, startled. She didn't see that one coming. I figure that'll keep her quiet until we get a chance to properly talk about it: the former commissioner is headed over here.

"Hey, kids. Enjoying yourselves?" He asks, smiling tiredly. Something's wrong here. I can feel something bothering him, and it rubs on me.

"Yea." We chorus, smiling sweetly and innocently as is expected of us. I figure this is a waste of time, and smile my full smile instead of a fake one everyone else is flashing. He looks like he needs a real smile for once. The former commish sits down, making small talk about the school and all. After a couple minutes, though, Liam has to open his big fat mouth and ask the question I realize Gordon was dreading.

"Hey commish, how do you feel about indirectly killing the batman?" He asks like a news reporter. I stiffen. That question is taboo. Liam just ruined the trip.

Before anyone can react, I kick him under the table and shoot him a glare that makes him smart enough to redden and cover his mouth with his hand, and apologize. Old man Gordon stays for a few more minutes, then wonders to the next table. I figure people've been bothering him nonstop about that. Poor guy.

After finishing lunch we say our goodbyes and start to load the bus. Right before I get on, though, Gordon sees me. "Hey, haven't I seen you before?" He asks, eyes looking suspicious. I try to stay calm and act nonchalant.

"It's a big city, Mr. Gordon. Maybe you saw my sister." I reply, and get on the bus before he has a chance to question me further. Whew, that was a CLOSE one. He almost knew me.

The bus take off at its slow rambling pace, headed back to school. Everything seems normal, except for one thing... The chaperones aren't on. Neither is the dean. Something is wrong.

"UMMMM... Michelle, did you see the chaperones get on the bus?" I ask her nervously. Michelle frowns. "Now that I think of it, no."

"Yea, that is odd..." Comments Alexander.

"Does anyone else think something's majorly wrong?" Haley starts to shake. For their sake, I've got to stay calm.

"Hey guys, I'm sure everything's fine. Relax," I tell them, faking indifference. I keep distracting my friends, making them laugh and hoping they don't look out the window. We are nowhere NEAR school now. Instead, we seem to be headed to the rougher parts of old Gotham.

"Where are we?" Haley always was the more observant one.

"I really don't think this was part of the trip..." Michelle, the more practical one, decides it'd be a good idea to ask the driver where we're headed.

"MICHELLE, SIT DOWN." I use the same voice that works so well on the very rowdy batboys. "The driver is obviously taking us somewhere. If you ask him where we are, whatever happens wont have a good outcome. Just stay calm. No one else has noticed yet, and a compete panic would lead to something VERY nasty. Now SIT DOWN." At this point, even I'm nervous. I grab my bag, putting the radio into my pocket and grabbing my utility belt and slipping it up my sleeve. Now I'm ready.

the bus slows, and for the first time everyone else seems to notice we aren't at school. Nervous muttering travels the length of the bus, which is silenced by the crackling of the bus speaker system.

"If you all value your lives, I highly suggest you exit the bus and remain silent. If not, well, then, let me just say you all will be taken' a high dive over some very sharp rocks. Gittit'?" The guy asks, turning around. The man is obese, with flat straw-like hair and pudgy lips. His eyes are watery green, and I think that this is a practical joke. A guy like him, a greater criminal mastermind? No WAY. And then the other voice comes. Sing-songy, is sounds like a creepy little kid from an insane asylum. I shudder. "Come on now, playthings. So we can PLAY with you."

Michelle's hand tightly grips mine as the back and front doors of the bus open and a gang of teens dressed like dolls enter, forcing us out of our seats and into the warehouse we pulled up in. Alexis almost screams, and so does Kinzie, but we put our hands over their mouths just in time. Any sound and we're all dead.

The guys are supposed to be able to fight after all the boasting they do in class about how the idiots broke their arm or leg, but we all know that only Alexander actually takes karate. Which is good because I need some backup if I try to pull this off.

Silently, I press the 'send' button on the radio in my pocket, and tap the mic rapidly for as long as I can and still look like I'm not trying anything. I would use the morse code button, but it causes a beep on both ends. The tapping will tell them of the danger just as well, and I hope they figure out how to trace the signal. Otherwise, we are doomed.

Some guy grabs Michelle and I and roughly drags us out of the bus, tossing us out like sacks. "Ok, now, who first.." The little guy with the singsong voice is the leader. Somehow I'm not surprised.

"Oh; yea. You wanted to screw someone. How about...her?" He talks to a guy to my right, and I get up and dust myself up. The radio in my hand is crushed. The man is pointing at me... Great. Just my LUCKY f*%#in day. Why couldn't this have happened LAST week?


	7. Chapter 7

I mentally groan, wondering how to get out of this one. The guy grabs my arm, and I have to resist the urge to slap him. No, I remind myself, I am a scared little girl who doesn't know what to do next. Just play scared. Figures, though, I'm a horrible actress. My stony side shows right through. So I decide to play not scared, and unwilling. That'll be so much easier anyways.

His breath stinks of alcohol, and at the most he's only sixteen. Coulda been one of the batboys. As he drags me closer, I fully realize what kind of a situation I'm in, and have no choice. With the stinky roaches lips millimeters away from mine, I play it safe and jab him really hard in the gut. His stomach is soft, and squishy. The guy doubles over in pain, and I back away. I know I just riled up a yellow jackets' nest. Great. Now I'm in for the sting.

All my classmates have been gagged and blindfolded, and are somewhere. I was a little busy, and not really paying attention, and they got taken somewhere, not 100% sure where though. And this is why I hate vacations.

The guy is clutching his stomach, glaring at me vehemently. He draws a butcher knife from a sheath on his belt, and I wonder why on earth i didn't notice it before.

I'm surrounded by whoever stayed behind instead of going wherever everyone else went. But, at least I have free reign over them. No one is watching. I can knock them around as much as I want, and I smile at them, cracking my knuckles as a 'bring it'. They look a little unnerved.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?" A batboy jumps down from a hole in the roof, as graceful as I was the night before.

"Not at all. Care to dance?" I ask, grinning. We nod at the same time and push off the ground. The goons didn't know what hit them.

After cleaning up the mess we made, I pull off my day clothes and stuff them in my backpack I recovered from the bus. My costume is on, except for the gloves, and they were getting uncomfortable anyways. I am a bird. I am Robin.

"Are you the only backup?" I question him. His name is Michael. Usually patrols with Jax... And I put Jax in second in command, which means he's monitoring control central. Great.

"No. Jax is in second-in-command and no one else was willing to take his place. What are we doing? Shouldn't we contact bats?" I curse myself for not assigning a replacement.

"Radio the mancave. Tell them we need backup quick. Those guys don't want ransoms, so those kids are in danger. The gang needs to be shut down. Immediately." I stride across the ground, thinking, then launching myself into the air. I propel myself off the ground towards the hole in the roof, any grab onto a metal girder supporting the building and pull myself up. My cape flaps in the gentle breeze as I do my balancing act on the roof, pondering where they would go.

My mind quickly comes up with a solution. Old man Gordon... Maybe not. He looked tired enough without me bothering him.

I form a visual map of Gotham in my mind, searching for a place the Gang might have taken the kids. East Gotham would be too easily noticed because its mostly suburbs. The warehouses was a drop off point. So where would the pick-up be?

Old Gotham takes up half the city, and has two parts. There are the parts that are still used, like town hall and the bank, and then there are the abandoned warehouses by the waterfront. The still-used would be obvious, I figure, which means that the kids either would have been taken to the waterfront or the last quadrant with the skyscrapers and new buildings, but its not any less violent than any other part.

I reach for my radio to tell the boys to search the third and fourth quadrants of the city, but I broke it. The pieces are still on the ground where I dropped them. Figure I'll do it myself.

I hurry to the third part, the rougher part of old Gotham. It's closer to where I am. I zigzag over the street, frantically searching. I know who I'm looking for. My main goal is to get Michelle and Haley out of there as quick as possible. Still no sign of them. I search almost all of old Gotham, and no trace. I let myself worry, and decide to take a break.

I scan the area as I catch my breath, looking for something that could give me a clue, ANY clue. My eye glimpses something glittery on the ground for a second, and I jump off the building for a closer look. As I approach it, I recognize it. It's a shoe, glittery silver and solid black. It looks kind of like Michelle's footwear, the ones she had been wearing today. I don't think it's a coincidence, and check the size as a precaution. It is an 8 1/2, which is her size. They came this way. I peer at the ground, looking for footprints or something because the ground covered in dirt where the pavement is breaking up. And then I mentally punch myself. The shoe would need to be pointing in the direction they were headed in.

I walk in that direction, not surprised when I come across a man-hole with the cover slightly ajar. I heave it up, wheezing. It's heavy. Below smells like sewage, but what the heck at this point I don't really care. I grab a rusty iron rung and swing into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

After a short walk I can here voices up ahead in the darkness. The tunnel had no branches. I figure that my good luck won't last long though. Usually it doesn't for me.

I sneak a look around the corner and the guards are gossiping about something. Meh. They're making it easy for me. One has his back to me and the other is exposed. I dash at the exposed one, creaming his head and breaking his nose, silently knocking him unconscious. The other is so shocked he just sort of stands there until I put pressure on a point at the back of his neck. He'll be out cold for a few hours.

The room they were guarding is locked, which is lucky. Figure I needed the practice.

My classmates are in there, looking terrified. Alexander is the only one completely calm, if a little uncomfortable looking. When they see me they sort of just stare, and I cut the ropes on the guys' first. They'll help keep everyone else calm. "Everyone stay quiet or we are so toast!" I hiss at them, as loud as I can and still be whispering. Immediately Brad opens his mouth and Alex stuffs his hand over it so that the only noise is that of fraying ropes. I really don't think anyone realizes the gravity of the situation. We could die.

I look around at the people tied up, and can't spot Michelle. Haley I cut loose along with everyone else except for Tiffany, but oh well. I cut the ropes and head over to Alexander.

"Is this everyone?" I ask, trying not to give away to much.

"No. My friend is in there!" He points to another wooden door, and I nod.

"Take everyone back the way you came. Wait outside. Help will come soon." I tell him, but he shakes his head. "No. Not leaving without Michelle. I abandoned Carrie and I'm not gonna do it again." I sigh. Leave it to Alex to be thickheaded.

"Ok, then you take everyone out." I say, pointing to Haley. "Please don't argue, we don't have that much time." She nods, and begins to lead everyone out. Finally someone who'll blindly follow orders.

Alex pushes open the wooden door, and a water drainage system greets our eyes. It is filled with slime and trash. We walk on, past that until we reach a fork in the waterway, actually a bridge. I glance at him and he shrugs, saying "When in doubt, take the right one."

We turn right, and come to an open room. The ceiling is domed, soled stone with the water flowing around an island in the middle. Michelle is there, tied up, and the child-like psychopath is there too.

"I knew you would come, you know. He said so. And I can see now be was right... You ARE who he thinks you are. I can't wait to confirm his suspicions. And he can't wait to destroy you, from the inside out." He sings, smiling like its all a joke. Anger builds up in my stomach, causing me to tense.

"Leave her out of this. I like FAIR fights, thank you very much." I say, my voice dangerously low as I jump over the swift stream. Alex stays by my side.

"What would YOU know about fair?" He teases me. "After all, you didn't tell your best friend where you where while away from school for a whole WEEK. You didn't tell your parents, or teachers, or anyone. Is that FAIR?" I smile. Of course it was fair. They have their secrets and I have mine. He's standing directly in front of me, and he suddenly leaps, catching me off guard. I fall backwards, and am immediately back on my feet by means of flipping up. I slap him, and he just takes it. He turns his head and laughs. This guy is crazy.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" He wheezes, and takes something from his pocket. Whatever it is, he sprays it into my face. It stings like pepper spray except milder, and I back away, coughing. The world is spinning.

I fall to my knees, and the psychopath is holding Michelle over the canal. Without being able to use her arms or legs, she'll drown.

"Watch her die. Feel her pain and suffer!" He's still laughing like a maniac as he drops my best friend into super-disgusting water. He doesn't care that she'll die. He doesn't care what the consequences are. This is just a game to him.

I want to kill him, to have the satisfaction of wrapping my hands around his scrawny neck and watching him gasp for air as the life is sucked out of him. But my friend is drowning. My revenge will wait.

The world wobbles as I try to get on my feet again, but its not happening. Whatever was in that spray made me pretty much helpless. A red mist clouds my sight, and figures appear.


	9. Chapter 9

i feel sharp pains in my chest and something red and sticky is pouring over my hands onto the ground. Something sharp and metal is in my chest, and the person who put it there is standing in front of me.

It **_is_** me. And Bruce stands beside the other me, with his arms crossed. My friends, my family, anyone I ever knew is behind the phantom, looking at me dying uncaringly on the cold stone, my life bleeding away.

And then I see that me pull the knife out of me and kill everyone else, one by one. They scream, and look pleadingly at ME to save them, but I'm dying. I can't move or anything. They bleed in front of me. Michelle falls, dragging herself forward to clutch my hand, her eyes pleading. It soaks my sleeve, dying the green fabric red. There is nothing I can do. I am helpless.

Bruce stares at me, cold, indifferent. He doesn't care like I thought he did. Like he pretended. And then I find myself the one holding the knife, with the crimson water drenching my hands. The bodies of my dead friends lying in front of me. On an impulse I can't control, my hand jerks and impales the knife deep in Batmans stomach, ripping a deep gash into it. I look at his expression, and it has changed from frozen to horrified.

"I thought... I could trust you... You were my ROBIN... My daughter." A gasping shuddering breath enters his throat and I scream, feeling empty. I just murdered everyone around me.

"NO... MICHELLE and mom and dad... NO... NO! BRUCE!" I sob, longing for this hellish nightmare to be over. This is not my fate. I control my life and I'd NEVER kill my friends. NEVER. I curl up into a ball, hiding from what I did. Voices float through the mist, caressing me, but not ending my dream.

"Carrie..." Someone whispers, but I don't listen. It's just a dream. Just a dream.

"Robin. Relax. I'm right here. Shhhh, girl. Michelle is fine. Good girl. Good girl." The mist still obscures my vision, but its lighter now. The bodies vanish, and I realise my eyes have been squeezed shut. Everything I saw was only in my head. Bruce is with me. No one I love is dead, and exactly that much is right in the world. Lucky. Karma, I figure.

I feel him pick me up, and I wrap my arms around his neck. Tears still silently drip down my cheeks. I don't know where we're headed, and I don't care, and I let the gentle motion rock me to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

I know it's a dream. No, it's not. It's a nightmare. They die by my hands. Again and again, I hear their screams and I can't help. All My fault. All my fault. I can't save them. Their blood is all over my hands... 


	11. Chapter 11

I wake sobbing, in my bed. Not at the apartment, but in my first real home: the Batcave. Bruce is sitting next to me, making me feel more guilty just because of this stupid nightmare, like I know I'm not strong enough for him.

My head is on his lap, and I wonder how long I was sleeping. I don't care. Everyone is alive. It was just a dream... It was just a dream... I hope. The thought occurs to me that it did happen and what I think is my life is the dream...

Batman notices I'm awake and smiles softly at me, holding me closer. He feels so real... It can't be a dream. He isn't my dream.

"Ok, now? Michelle made it out because of Alex. Nice boy. Everyone is safe, and the police are handling the situation..." He trails off, looking like he expects me to say something.

"Wait... How did you get me out of there in front of everyone?" I ask, frowning as I wipe the tears away. They are meaningless.

Bruce shifts uncomfortably in his seat, looking slightly guilty. "Ummm... I might have had to... Say some stuff..." I gape at him. The whole purpose of going underground was to operate without anyone knowing.

"You BETTER NOT have told everyone... I'm ok with Michelle and Haley and Alex knowing. But Kinzie, Tiffany and Liam?" I groan. Bruce does his best to reassure me.

"No, I only told the girl and Alex. They were the only ones to see me anyways, but... They're kind of mad at you for not saying about the whole sidekick business..." Great. Now my best friends are mad at me. Sucks to be me.

I sigh, saying "Oh well. Figure it coulda come out worse..." Whatever. I'm beyond caring. I sit up, but Bruce pushes me back down.

"I don't think that's a good idea... If you try and get up, the exertion might cause unwanted side effects." He warned, frowning cutely.

"Well, could you go get me my iPod, then? It's boring to be sitting here and I need something to do or else I'll explode." I reply, and he gets up and leaves, nodding. I lean back against the pillows, thinking about the events of yesterday, if it could even be considered that yet.

Why did this all have to happen so suddenly? It seems like a week since Bruce has died in the eyes of everyone else, and I feel so alone, so empty. Its like the purpose I gained as batmans sidekick vanished within two seconds after the world thought him dead.

I realized now why Oliver said it was a loud kind of mysterious. It was, and that's why I wanted in. I loved that life, and now, I feel robbed of it.

The adrenaline rush, thrill of the chase, the complete utter FREENESS of it all rushed over me as I sat in bed and contemplated the trapped feeling inside me, like a caged bird struggling to be free. Is this what Bruce felt like during retirement? If it is, I know why he came back. Just the sheer frustration of sitting here unable to be free hurts, not to mention the migraine I am getting from thinking so hard.

Bruce still isn't back yet, so I figure I shouldn't wait up and close my eyes, letting myself drift away into unconsciousness and the sweet bliss of sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

I wake refreshed, not having had any weird or creepy dreams, thank the gods. My backpack is by my bed, and I get up and change into my normal clothes, the ones I wore to school two days ago. I look like a completely normal teenage girl.

It's about seven in the morning, so I figure no ones' made breakfast yet. I might as well. Spent enough time lazing around as it is.

The kitchen still has dirty dishes from dinner last night on the table, so I clear them up too, washing them well with soapy water before starting breakfast: scrambled eggs and bacon. We have plenty, anyways.

The smell is floating through the air, and people start drifting through the kitchens, grabbing a paper plate filled with food before leaving. Bruce finally comes out of the cave wearing pants stained with axle grease and grime. His hair is sticking up straight and he has dark circles under his eyes.

"Were you up all night?" I ask, scowling. He shouldn't be staying up like that anymore. I figure he hasn't had any sleep in days. If I'm not allowed to stay up all night, neither is he.

"-musndsalf;ds;l." Bruce replies, mumbling illegibly. I sigh, handing him breakfast, and he retreats back into the cave. There's nothing else for me to do here.

I figure I might as well leave for home… and deal with my friends and anything they want to say. I grab my backpack, weighed down with my life, and go out the NW entrance.

Time to sort out my life.


	13. Chapter 13

Sometime later, I find myself nervously calling Michelle's number and bracing myself for whatever THEY have to say. I hear the phone dialing and everything, and then an unfamiliar voice at the other end.

"Hello?" a polite female voice asks. It takes me a minute to realize its her mother who picked up.

"hi, Mrs. Douglas? Its Carrie. I was wondering if I could speak to Michelle?..." I reply. I hear tinny voices on the other end and a muffled groan. Then the irritated sound of uggg.

"What do you want?' an irate voice washes over me. " To apologize. And to explain." I say honestly. "Will you come over…?" I am completely surprised when she gets an ok from her mom and agrees, then hangs up. Figured that would've been worse.

I call Alex and Haley too, and am met with almost identical reactions, but they all give their consent. At least I wont have to repeat myself, I figure.

I pace in my room and brace for their reactions. They are so going to verbally kill me, I figure.

I glance out the window and something catches my eye. A black box sitting on the lower roof of the building right across the street disturbs me, but I'm not quite sure why. That is, until I realize the blinky red lights are numbers. This takes a couple seconds to process. It takes another second or two to see that the timer is at 15 seconds and going down. Then I take another two seconds to realize that I am so screwed, and a moment for me to force my legs to move and dash to the door to my room. It flies open before I reach it, and my friends enter in all their stubborn fury.

"Carrie you better-" I reach them and know I probably have about three seconds.

"DOWN!" I scream and push them to the floor. Not a moment too soon. The glass floor-to-ceiling window panes shatter musically, raining down on us. I cover them, making sure I get the worse. Figure this is my fault, anyways.

The heat rinses through the room, fiery and hot and frying almost everything in the room to a crisp. I scream, and hear Michelle scream too. It's almost all I can do to stop myself from going unconscious out of pain.

I feel someone grab me, and try to help me to my feet. I pull my friends with me, trying to keep them safe. Then I realize I'm probably hallucinating and there's (probably) no one supporting me.

We stagger towards the door, although me dragging Michelle and Haley and Alexander is a better description. I can hear people in the hallways in the building, and have just enough will power left to force myself to grab the burning hot handle and twist.

One little thing that I hate about the apartment that always hinders me at the most inopportune times: the door automatically locks. Every time you want to open it, you have to type in the password on the pad next to the door. My parents happen to be security freaks.

Usually, the autolock is just a minor annoyance, but today is a different story. Today it is a matter that is trapping me inside the crumbling apartment, in the burning heat. I don't have the strength to support my friends. I feel hot, too hot, burning brightly like a star, and I don't have the energy to extinguish myself. This is all my fault.

If I hadn't asked my friends to come over, or if we'd met somewhere else, they would be safe. I killed them. I killed myself.

The heat gets to me, and I cant stay awake any longer. Darkness creeps over the corners of my vision and covers me, but the pain still comes. It always comes.


	14. Chapter 14

For some strange reason, I know what's happening around me. Creepy, cause I figure I'm supposed to be dead by now. People are faintly murmuring things I can't quite hear. Hands wrap around me, strong and safe, and a sound of crashing metal and glass and collapsing wood.

Briefly I wonder what is happening, but the thought is pushed away by the intense pain I'm feeling, or was. By now I feel numb. This isn't real.

This can't be real. My home collapsed. My parents…would have been inside. I don't see the building go down because my eyes are screwed tightly shut, heck, I don't even know where I am anymore.

I hope Michelle and Alex and Haley are alright…

My arm starts to burn, and tears leak from my eyes. Not of fear, but out of shock. Everything is happening so fast…

A roaring noise sounds in my ears, and a second later concerned voices fill the air. They're too loud, making my head pound with discomfort. Warm, friendly vaguely familiar sounds drift to my ears...

I don't know what the people are talking about, but I hear my name…

A prickling sensation crawls up my arm, and blessed, quiet, sweet silence fills the air.


	15. Chapter 15

When I wake up, I find myself in the quiet surroundings of the makeshift medical bay in the cave. Bruce is sitting next to me, and it was him who saved me, I figure.

"...are the others ok?" i ask. My mouth feels like sandpaper burning.

Bruce gently holds a glass of water to my lips, and I drink eagerly. He waits until I've finished the last sip, then replies.

"Yes. You managed to protect them from almost all harm. Michelle and Alex had slight burns and scrapes, but nothing serious." He growls, and I get the distinct impression I did something wrong.

"What happened? Why didn't you call me?" No, he isn't angry, he's concerned, and worried, I figure. My head pounds, and I try to explain everything as fast as possible so I can continue sleeping.

"Hmmmm," he murmurs, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. "Well… only one thing to do. As soon as you're feeling better, we should continue training. Never leave here without your utility belt," Bruce tells me, looking preoccupied.

I know just as well as he does that the bomb was an attempt on my life, or my mothers'. Just about everyone knows where Stacy Kelly, my mother, lives because she's an actor. It wouldn't be too much trouble to figure out that I live there too, same last name and all.

"Bruce, what… what happened to my Mom?" I ask, hesitating. I'm not sure I want to know the answer. From the way he turns away slightly, I know she died. But I need to hear it.

"...Didn't make it out…" was all I heard. But it was enough.

He missed her too. Bruce had been a friend of my mother's, from a party. She was one of the few women that didn't jump on him in public. They were just friends. Tears gently leak from my eyes. Shock, I tell myself. Although I know they aren't.

Bruce gives me a hug, then leaves me to grieve. He has his work to do, and so do I… but after I sleep. Who knew almost getting blown up took so much out of you.


	16. Chapter 16

I stare at my desk. School bites, but now that I am officially an orphan until the stupid social people can locate my family or some of my former step-dads, I have to attend school. Even worse, Michelle and Haley are giving me the silent treatment. Alex isn't at school today to help me here.

I actually miss mom. For someone who was never around, she still ends up sticking in my heart. I mean, what kind of parent forgets to drive their kid to school and then forgets they have a kid at all? That one time I was gone for three weeks and she didn't even notice. The other when I came home with two broken ribs and a black eye she ignored. Then the time step-dad number six punched me for asking what was for dinner. And the other time… well, anyways.

I figure the teacher has called my name at least six times now. Each time I space out. Not like I'm doing it to get out of work or anything. Just don't want to deal with the jerkheads who think it's funny Mom's dead. It's remarkable how quickly a classroom can get and remain out of control here.

My name is called for the tenth time, and then the bell rings. I ignore the teacher and quickly slide out of the room, marveling at the speed at which I can disappear into a crowd. Glad Bruce taught me that.

The heat from others is stifling, and the humidity is really not helping. In the classroom it was almost bearable, but in the packed hallway with everyone trying to exit at the same point in the building, it doesn't help my mood. I have to resist the urge to scream, and wish everyone would move.

Someone crashes against me, and a hand grabs my shoulder and shakes it. Another teen yells something about watching where I'm going, but I elbow them in the stomach with all the force I can muster. I have to get out of here.

I find myself pinned against the wall with the world going blurry, so I do the only thing that makes sense. I bite onto something, and run as I hear a scream.

It feels like I run for hours, but I figure it was really a couple of minutes.

Panting, I survey my surroundings. A sewer entrance. Perfect. I can get down to the cave from here. I disregard the fact I shouldn't be out of school yet. I ignore the fact I shouldn't use the back entrance, or that the stupid social workers will murder me for running off. _**I don't care.**_

_** I couldn't care less. **_


	17. Chapter 17

**people I am sorry about the last chapter posted on all my stories. My sister hacked my account and being the idiot she is messed with my beautiful stories. I deleted the chapter, and so here we all are. **

* * *

The cave. quiet, cool, and dark… at least it would be if Bruce didn't have his music blowing from the speakers without a care in the world. He's working on the batmobile again, I figure.

Although it's loud, I find a sort of quiet comfort in it. Good to know that I still have a home. And I finally got Bats to relax a bit. He even sings. Who woulda thought.

But, I still have problems. It seems I'm claustrophobic, which isn't good when your home is a cave. I can't stand sitting still, I can't pay attention, and I have a lot of excess anger. Plus my friends hate me, along with everyone else in the school. Pretty sure that includes the teachers.

Dropping off the face of the earth is sounding like my best option right now.

I can't leave but at the same time, I don't want to stay. I can't. Not that I don't like fighting crime or anything, but the Media is kicking and screaming about the whole 'Robin' thing. So is the stupid Mother's Association of Parenting, or something like that.

The public thinks I'm an eleven year old boy without parents who enjoys torturing people and showing off.

Anyone who really knows me has realized at this point that a. I am thirteen, b. I have a parent, he's just never around, c. the only people I torture are my friends and that's not even me inflicting bodily harm, and d. I hate showing off.

So pretty much the press needs to get their facts straight. But that doesn't make it any less of a problem. Every time a police officer sees me, they start yelling and have cars chasing me, which is soo not helping keep criminals I gift wrap for them. Hence my problem.

It actually occurred to me to change my costume, but to what? Batgirl and Batwoman are just too copycattish for me, Catwoman was taken, and I don't want to end up as Kid Bat or something.

So, I can't leave Gotham, I can't stay, I can't keep my name but I can't change it either! This is as bad as math! (not anything against math lovers, but I hate it!)

So, when faced with a dilemma, I do what I normally do. Which also happens to be the least logical choice here. I call Michelle. And ask her to meet me in Gotham Central park, in a spot very few people know about. Most of them don't even live in Gotham.

Surprisingly, she doesn't yell my head off. She doesn't hang up on me. She doesn't even make up some lame excuse. She does the thing least expected.

** She calmly says yes. **


	18. Chapter 18

Twenty minutes later, I find myself in the park. The mist rising from the ground is rather creepy, so I figure its a good thing I brought my utility belt. It makes me feel better. The words false sense of security come to mind.

I dig my hands into my pockets, turning off the the path and away from the pond along side it. Shadows dance along the ground, moonlight shining under rustling leaves. The blue jacket I'm wearing really doesn't protect me from the chill.

A hedge shows the end of the park, but I duck under through a cleverly concealed piece of fake branch.

The other side is exactly the same as where I just came from, but the branches are thinner and owls hoot in the trees. I figure this is the only place in Gotham they live.

I drop my backpack on the ground and curl up with my back to a tree, waiting for Michelle. She'll get here soon, I figure.

A crackling of branches announces her arrival. Her hair shines in the moonlight, purple flecks being cast on the ground. Her purple hood is pulled up, with hands in her pockets.

She glares, sitting down on the leaves across from me.

"Spill." She says, and then frowns. "Carrie, you look terrible." I glance down, and find that the burns covering my arms are bright red and flaky, the uncovered cuts oozing some clear liquid. My hair hasn't been brushed or washed since my apartment exploded, and my sneakers are caked in dust.

I shrug. "Eh, figure it'd could've been worse." Michelle looks at me sceptically, then waves her hand in a casual motion.

"Ok, well, after this we seriously need to go shopping." I shrug again.

"So anyways. What happened was originally I saved Bats and he lets me help him."

Michelle still looks like she doesn't believe me, but lets the explanation pass.

"Fine, but what about recently? The creepy guy and the explosion, what was that about?" She queries. I sink lower against the tree, shuddering at the me soon of the guy who almost killed my best friend and the incident that killed mom.

"No idea. Figure that someone was targeting me, or a rich kid whose parent pissed off a crime boss. I'm more likely cause there aren't any other kids from school in my building."

A moment of silence insures.

"Then... If someone was targeting you, and knew about the birdboy fiasco, would that mean...?" I sigh.

"Yes. They would most definitely target you."


	19. Chapter 19

I expect her to back away from me as if i have some contagious disease, but she only frowns some more. Then shrugs. Figure Michelle has more nerve than I gave her credit for.

"Aces, you probably know a whole lot about self-defence, Carrie. You will teach me. And Haley, and Alex. But first, I figure its kinda my late. Tomorrow we can go shopping, and I'll explain to Haley and Alex 'bout the details."

Oh, well. Figure that she might have run off and gotten captured or something. Glad that went better than in my head.

"Sure, Michelle-" My phone/radio thingy goes off in my pocket. I forgot I slipped it in there earlier.

"Hello?" I answer it cautiously, then relax as I hear Bruce's deep rumbling baritone voice.

"Robin, I need you for something." Ooo! Finally, something to do.

"Mission, Boss?" I ask, forgetting Michelle for a minute.

"Yes. I'll brief you at the cave." With that, he cut the transmission, leaving me hanging.

"Aces, Carrie, I gotta go. See ya later," she says before starting to dash off.

"See ya, Michelle, and say hi to Alex for me!" I yell as softly as possible after her. She waves and ducks through the bush, wincing as it drags through her hair. Being tall has disadvantages.

I pick myself off the ground, sighing. Aces, a superhero never rests, I figure.


End file.
